TRETTHD 41

#41. The Empire’s Social Circle

Adapting to the Empire’s social scene wouldn’t be easy in this life either. For a princess from another country to break into the inner circle, she’d have no choice but to push aside someone at the center.

And everyone agreed: the undisputed center of the current social scene was Princess Canterif.

“But pushing her aside would be way too risky.”

Just rejecting Raoul’s proposal and choosing Khalid had already been fodder for the nobility’s gossip for a while.

If Belia were to push aside the princess who might become Raoul’s consort, all the sympathetic glances from the aristocrats would undoubtedly turn toward Princess Canterif.

“…On the other hand, I’d be the one hounded by all kinds of scandal.”

Making a first impression in the social scene like that would be disastrous. Recovering a tarnished reputation is several times harder than building a good one from scratch.

“It’s better to build an entirely new faction instead.”

In her previous life, Belia had the support of Raoul and the Emperor’s protection, which made moving in the social scene relatively easy. Of course, her glory ended as soon as Erze appeared, but the process itself wasn’t difficult.

This time, however, she had to start from scratch with her own power, naturally drawing everyone’s attention to herself. It wouldn’t be easy.

“Lately, there’s been a lot of talk comparing Your Highness and Princess Canterif,” the maid said cautiously as she brushed Belia’s hair.

“You mean between me and Princess Canterif?”

“Yes. Both of you are prospective crown princesses and of noble status, so people are talking about the similarities.”

“In what way?”

The maids hesitated slightly before answering.

“They say you, Your Highness, have a pure and innocent aura, whereas Princess Canterif is bright and radiant. The impression is very different.”

“…You can be honest.”

The maid seemed uncomfortable speaking and let out a small sigh.

“I know you’re only saying this because you care about me,” Belia said. She guessed the maid had probably overheard something about the tea party today.

“Actually, at the tea party at the Duncan estate today, there might be some difficulties,” the maid said.

“Because Princess Canterif is coming?”

Belia already knew that.

“Well… I just happened to overhear it,” the maid said, fidgeting and closing her eyes tightly.

“A few days ago, I went to the square and overheard some ladies saying they wouldn’t be particularly friendly to Your Highness.”

It seemed the young ladies of the noble families intended to assert themselves against Belia, the maid explained, growing increasingly upset as she spoke.

“People’s attention is focused on Princess Canterif, who will become the consort of the First Prince. As you know, the Second Prince doesn’t have the best reputation.”

So, basically, the factions among the noble young ladies had already begun, with most siding with Princess Canterif.

Belia curved one corner of her lips into a smile. A slightly irritating feeling rose within her.

“Of course! I know the prince is a good person, and he isn’t cruel as the rumors say. But they don’t know that.”

In her previous life, factionalism didn’t happen this quickly because Belia was already close to becoming the next empress as Raoul’s consort. Naturally, everyone had wanted to please her.

But now, the situation was entirely different. The nobles’ attitudes had changed completely.

“Thank you. Because of you, I can steel my mind in advance.”

“…I hope Your Highness won’t get hurt.”

Belia had always been kind and gentle, never treating her servants harshly. For the maid, being able to serve someone like her in the palace was almost miraculous. She hoped Belia would stay there for a long time.

“Thank you.”

Belia could feel the maid’s heartfelt sincerity.

“But there’s no need to worry. I’m not someone to be underestimated either.”

Her eyes shone with determination.

The soft rustle of her dress brushed against the grass as Belia walked slowly into the garden.

Everyone present turned their gaze toward her. Some had met her at a previous party; others were meeting her for the first time. All of them, though, were people she had known in her previous life.

“Hello. I’m Belia Ronica. Am I a little late?” she asked with a smile.

“Not at all! I’m Sarah Duncan. Thank you for coming, Your Highness,” the young lady of the Duncan estate said as she stood to greet her.

“Thank you for inviting me to such a special occasion, Lady Duncan.”

Belia’s polite demeanor seemed to put the hostess at ease.

She led Belia to her seat and added, “Princess Canterif hasn’t arrived yet. She’s running a bit late, so please understand.”

Though the words asked for understanding, Belia felt a subtle strangeness in them.

Seated in her spot, she scanned the surroundings. Everyone was hiding behind fans or pretending to look elsewhere.

“…I see.”

She decided to observe for a while before taking any action. This was unfamiliar territory, after all.

“Humph! Even though Princess Canterif isn’t here yet, we’ll begin the tea party. Today’s desserts will be served in three rounds,” the Duncan young lady announced.

Maids brought prepared desserts to each table: small sandwiches, cakes, scones, and baked treats.

“Huh…?”

Belia examined the desserts. These weren’t light appetizers to whet the appetite—they were normal desserts. Though served in three rounds, the menu would remain mostly similar, with only slight variations.

“Somewhat underwhelming.”

It wasn’t that preparation had been lacking, but it wasn’t especially meticulous either—especially considering this was an imperial tea party.

“Please enjoy,” said the Duncan young lady, ringing a small bell. The clear chime echoed as the maids poured tea into the cups.

The aroma was exquisite, likely due to high-quality tea leaves. Belia recognized it as a tea she often enjoyed back in Ronica. She inhaled the scent, then sipped. It was indeed top-quality.

“Does it suit your taste?” the Duncan young lady asked as she approached Belia’s table.

“Yes, it’s very good.”

“My father gave it as a gift and graciously allowed it to be served at today’s tea party,” she said proudly.

Belia found the young lady cute and smiled gently.

“…Adorable.”

To Belia, returning to the past, all the noble young ladies here seemed like much younger sisters. A competition with them suddenly felt tiresome.

She chuckled softly and relaxed her previously tense expression, beginning to converse with them. As if waiting for this moment, questions immediately poured in.

“What kind of tea is commonly drunk in the Ronica Kingdom?”
“I saw you dancing with Prince Khalid at the last party.”
“Did the Second Prince gift you all your dresses?”

The girls were curious, mostly about Khalid rather than Belia herself.

‘Hmm, he’s surprisingly popular.’

Khalid rarely appeared in public, so the girls were naturally curious about him.

“I heard Prince Khalid is very kind to you… Is that always the case?”

This question carried slight worry, as if the asker doubted Khalid could be so gentle. Belia swallowed a smile and answered:

“Prince Khalid is indeed very kind and warm. I think there’s been a lot of misunderstanding about him.”

“Oh my!”

The conversation naturally turned to romance, capturing everyone’s attention.

“You’ll appear publicly with the Second Prince often from now on, right?”

“Of course. As a future crown princess, I intend to fulfill all my duties properly, and Khalid will accompany me, naturally.”

Some of the young ladies covered their mouths and giggled upon hearing his name. The atmosphere had clearly relaxed since the beginning.

Suddenly, a maid whispered to Lady Duncan, who sprang up, startled.

“It seems Princess Canterif has arrived. I’ll go greet her briefly.”

The announcement fell like cold water over the gathering, quieting everyone.

Belia turned to the young lady who had asked her the previous question, only for her to look away subtly.

Hmm…

It seemed some prearranged plotting was underway. Belia calmly spoke to her:

“What were you curious about earlier?”

“Oh… It wasn’t very important,” the girl replied, breaking off conversation as if fearing a commotion.

Silence lingered in the garden.

A moment later, Elin Canterif entered with Lady Duncan.

“Sorry for being late. Something came up at my family estate,” Elin said, immediately greeting the assembled young ladies with an air of ownership, her demeanor quite arrogant.

“I also apologize to Princess Belia for my lateness,” she added, seating herself naturally in the center without waiting to be shown a spot.

“It’s fine. It’s unavoidable when something urgent comes up.”

Was she trying to assert dominance?

Despite being from another country, Belia was still a princess. Even before marrying Khalid, she held a higher rank than the Empire’s nobles.

Princess Canterif’s tardiness was a major breach of etiquette at a tea party attended by Belia. Yet it wasn’t easy to call her out in a setting where Belia had no allies. Clearly, Canterif had deliberately arrived late knowing this.

Belia smiled faintly and replied with subtle irony:

“Besides, even the host isn’t saying anything. How could I possibly scold her?”

Everyone seemed shocked by this uncharacteristic cynicism from Belia. The atmosphere chilled instantly, and Elin’s expression stiffened.

Lady Duncan tried to shift the mood, ringing the bell once more.

“Next, we’ll serve the second round of desserts.”

It was quickly brought out.

“Lady Duncan seems to have taken great care knowing Your Highness would attend,” Elin said, gesturing theatrically at the table laden with cakes and pastries.

“Isn’t that so?” she asked Belia with a seemingly friendly expression.

Belia took a sip of her tea, maintaining a polite face. Outsiders unfamiliar with the Empire’s tea parties would easily be caught by such words. If she admitted that preparation was excessive, she’d appear foolish. But if she criticized it, she’d be labeled rude.

She silently applauded Princess Canterif internally.

‘Smarter than I expected.’

Elin looked at her with anticipation, eager to see how Belia would respond.